Considering the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic last year, there wasn’t much else to speak about outside of that move. However, Nico Harrison’s decision to move on from Quentin Grimes didn’t make much sense then, and it makes even less sense now. 

Grimes went to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal for Caleb Martin, and completely outplayed Martin in the second half of last year. He was one of the better guards in the league, averaging 21.9 points in his 28 games with the 76ers. 

While Grimes certainly deserves to get a big pay raise, the Boston Globe recently noted that it’s likely he’ll return to Philadelphia on a cheaper deal now and become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. It’s unfortunate that restricted free agents haven’t gotten the markets they’re looking for, but it isn’t anything that Grimes can do. 

“The 76ers guard had a breakout stretch after being acquired from the Mavericks and now he reportedly wants $25 million per season, so therefore he has no offers. Teams that make offers to restricted free agents need salary cap space, meaning teams can’t drive up the market price with no intention of honoring the deal. Grimes is likely to return to Philadelphia and then become an unrestricted free agent next summer,” they wrote.

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Had the Mavericks not traded him, Grimes likely would’ve found himself in a similar spot. Perhaps he’d be re-signed by now, but it’s also tough to say given where the market stands. 

He played well for the 76ers, but it’s also worth noting that he’s never played like that in his career.